Some 135,000 lights on 1,118 strands, as well as an eclectic display of other Christmas decorations, glow for a 25th year in the Midwood Road property of Rick and Joan Setti.

Some 135,000 lights on 1,118 strands, as well as an eclectic display of other Christmas decorations, glow for a 25th year in the Midwood Road property of Rick and Joan Setti.

Photo: Nancy Guenther Chapman

Image 2 of 4

Rick Setti talks to a visiting Florida youngster recently at his and wife Joan's Christmas Village on Midwood Road. Lucas Marracco, 6, asked how much the huge holiday display costs. "Mucho grande. Like big. A lot of money," Setti replied. less

Rick Setti talks to a visiting Florida youngster recently at his and wife Joan's Christmas Village on Midwood Road. Lucas Marracco, 6, asked how much the huge holiday display costs. "Mucho grande. Like big. A ... more

Photo: Nancy Guenther Chapman

Image 3 of 4

Angel figures have been incorporated into the holiday decorations of Rick and Joan Setti in memory of the shooting victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School last year.

Angel figures have been incorporated into the holiday decorations of Rick and Joan Setti in memory of the shooting victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School last year.

Photo: Nancy Guenther Chapman

Image 4 of 4

Holiday spirit undimmed, but Norwalk couple's Christmas Village nearing end

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

The glow from 135,000 lightbulbs is once again brightening a Norwalk neighborhood this Christmas season, where one of the new additions is a sign proclaiming "25 years" posted over plywood cutouts of cats and a mock-fireplace, complete with stockings hung with care.

One thing that is not on the sign: One more year and that's it.

Rick and Joan Setti are celebrating a quarter-century of the kid magnet they built step by step on their property at 6 Midwood Road, a Christmas Village that draws families from all around. The couple, both now 70, said last year that this would be their last. Instead, they are using this season to warn everyone. Next year will be the last Christmas of a site crammed full of Christmas vignettes and decorations, with 1,118 strands of lights dangling from the trees and Christmas music playing over the speakers.

The Settis' Christmas Village began almost by accident, as the couple, newly married, became competitive about Christmas decorations. One thing led to another and it became a year-round, full-time volunteer occupation, as Rick created plywood characters in a shed and Joan painted them. Friends helped set things up; one friend, electrician Mark Vincent, convinced Connecticut Light and Power to come take a look about a decade ago, resulting in a separate power line just for the holiday decorations.

But the wires are getting old and Rick, who has had 10 back surgeries, is struggling with the physical nature of making sure everything is working at night, they said.

New light strands would cost "$10,000 or better," Joan said, so they both agreed it's time to stop.

Maybe they'll be open again next year, but they're planning to cut back. Rick created 44 new characters this year, but there will be nothing new next year, they said. They will paint the things that need painting and that will be it.

This year, the 44 new characters were augmented by characters made by someone else to create a display honoring the memory of victims in last year's Newtown school shooting, without specifically mentioning the tragedy.

Inside a prominently placed shed are 20 small angel characters and six adult-sized angels. A school bus features a poem that begins with the phrase, "Please don't cry, we're OK."

"People stand here and cry," Joan said of visitors who see the new decorations.

That wasn't the only contribution this year from Dawn Monteiro, a neighbor who runs a day-care center that the Settis have been visiting as Mr. and Mrs. Claus for the past five Christmases. Montiero also coordinated the biggest helping crew the Settis have ever seen.

"This year, we had about 40 people up here, including children, that wanted to help," Rick said. "They all did a great job, every single one of them. Even the kids got into it."

He said about 15 people ordinarily help them set up in early November.

Every year, the Settis play Mr. and Mrs. Claus on Christmas Eve, drawing around 500 children to sit in Santa's lap. Monteiro wants to make this year more special.

"I truly feel 25 years marks a huge milestone for Santa Setti's Christmas Village," said Monteiro, who is working to raise money through a crowd funding website, www.rockethub.com, to buy about 600 stuffed animals for "Santa" to give away on Christmas Eve.

The Settis traditionally give a candy cane to each child after hearing their wish list.

Monteiro is also looking for stories, pictures and perhaps thank-you notes from the people who have visited over the years to be put into a DVD or photo book. For information, email helpsantasetti@gmail.com.

Rick has plenty of stories of his own. Three years ago he put up a "mailbox" to give children an opportunity to write letters to Santa and "mail" them on the spot. This week, there was a first -- a little girl stuffed an envelope with photos she had clipped from ads and nothing else.

"It's really fantastic. She really used her brain on it," he said. "It makes Santa's job a little easier."

However, he has no idea who left it.

The Settis said they are not sure what they will do without a Christmas Village to maintain in 2015. A friend suggested they go caroling.

"Can you imagine us caroling?" Joan said, with a laugh. "Maybe we can take a ride to look at all the decorations. We never have time to do it."

They figure they'll have time to visit friends for Christmas, too.

But Joan has backed off from stopping completely.

"I have to have Christmas," she said. "I'm still going to have some of my special stuff out there. I want to keep the manger, the sled and the reindeer and my singing trees, if they're not broken again. I mean, it will be just something like normal people -- instead of nuts like us."

The Settis said people know them from their village, and people they don't recognize routinely say hello.

"You know what I'm really going to miss when I do stop this?" Rick asked. "I made a lot of friends over the years -- nice people that I would have never met if we didn't do this. But most of all, I'll miss the kids. I mean, I love kids. When I play Santa Claus on Christmas Eve night, I am really into it. I feel like every one of those kids is mine."